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POPSRobot builders seek a little help from sci-fi
"People that thought of it as a camera with legs were really pleased, but people that thought of it as a photographer were really disappointed," he says. Smart thinks those raised expectations were down to the impact of unrealistically human-like robots in movies and books. "People don't really know what they are. C-3PO in Star Wars is very humanlike, intelligent and capable, but real robots are not like that at all." Instead of just forcing people to alter their expectations, Smart thinks it makes sense to study how people's ideas about robots are influenced by fiction. That knowledge could be used to design robots that make the most of those expectations. "My real concern is to get people and robots to play together nicely," says Smart. Engineers might learn from fictional robots in other ways, says Sharkey. "It would be worthwhile to study the way computer animators make us connect with simple, non-human objects." Pixar's WALL-E, for example, is easy to connect with, he
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POPSBaen Books This is my favorite book site. It is not really high tech but still a fount of information. And most of my favorite writers use this publisher anyway.
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POPSStanley Kubrick's files -New archives reveal the film-maker's public and private worlds "... My main interest lies along these broad areas naturally assuming great plot and character. 1. The reasons for believing in the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life. 2. The impact (and perhaps even lack on impact in some quarters) such discovery would have on earth in the near future. 3. A space probe with a landing and exploration of the Moon and Mars. Would you consider coming sooner with a view to a meeting, the purpose of which would be to determine whether an idea might exist or arise which could sufficiently interest both of us enough to want to collaborate on a screenplay?”
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POPSThe amazing adventures of gene doping man "If anyone performs too well in Beijing, the cloud will be over them for the next 10 years. Every fantastic performance now is tainted … it is a really sad thing for sport." A good insight into modern detection of cheats in sports.
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POPSTechnothrillers vs. Science Fiction "I'm not sure this explains the sales figures-- after all, people don't generally know the details of the ending before they buy a book-- but I thought it was an interesting remark, and pretty accurate given my limited reading of thrillers."
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POPSAlternate History: What Ifs Best site for a thorough definition of what is and what is not "alternate history," and a nice bibliography of key stories and novels that fit the criteria. Most interesting is the fact the author separates Alternate History from Secret and Hidden History which explore more conspiratorial theories and ramifications of History by design instead of a divergent history. Not just for fans of the genre but serious Historians have written essays on "What If' as key events in history may have gone askew,,,
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POPSThe Late Great Arthur C Clarke dies at 90 he was a legend everything wouldn't fit in the clip "Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered," he recalled recently. "I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these, I would like to be remembered as a writer." A statement from Sir Arthur's office said he had recently reviewed the final manuscript of his latest novel. The Last Theorem, co-written with Frederik Pohl, will be published later this year, it said. I look forward to continue reading his works he lives on through his work he will finally find out what lies beyond earth life
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POPSTwenty science fiction novels that may change your life Cryptonomicon (2000), by Neal Stephenson The Mount (2002), by Carol Emschwiller Perdido Street Station (2002), by China Mieville Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (2003), by Cory Doctorow Pattern Recognition (2003), by William Gibson Newton's Wake (2004), by Ken MacLeod Glasshouse (2006), by Charles Stross
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